1. Field of the Invention
This invention is a transportation vehicle. More specifically, it is a road towed ferry. Still more specifically, it is a road towed ferry that is adjustable between a stable ferry configuration for movement of a heavy land vehicle and/or substantial cargo across a body of water, and a road tow configuration for towing over roads by a tow vehicle.
2. Description of the Background Art
There are several existing ferry, barge and boat designs that contemplate amphibious operation. Several known examples of such a vehicle provide foldable boats with wheels, but do not generally provide appreciable load carrying ability, in particular with respect to ferrying heavy loads such as their own tow vehicle. Other known examples of such vehicles are transportable barges that can carry the towing car or motor home for recreation purposes. Some of these require the transported vehicle to provide the ferry propulsion, and in general their ferry capacity is limited. There are several larger barges and ferries that have also been previously disclosed that contemplate transporting heavy vehicles over water. These vessels generally have retractable wheels for ferry use and are generally not built for normal public road use, e.g. without requiring special permits, or for air transport in most viable airplanes.
Further more detailed examples of different types of vehicles, such as of the types just described, are variously disclosed in the following issued U.S. patents, each of which is incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 1,602,812 to Cook; U.S. Pat. No. 3,067,439 to Brush; U.S. Pat. No. 3,193,851 to Fiebelkorn; U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,388 to Moraski; U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,511 to Sisil; U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,577 to Struyk; U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,748 to Carroll; U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,519 to Yunoki et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,385 to Gillois; U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,054 to Rice et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,967 to Shultz et al.
There is a significant demand for specialized ferry vehicles that provide the ability to ferry heavy loads over water, and to transport such a capable ferry over public roads without requiring special permits.
For example, such demand exists in heavy machinery applications, such as to transport mineral exploration and production equipment, in particular for example oil rig (or drilling) equipment, to remotely located sites over water without direct road access. These often are located over waterways having irregular depths, such as through marshlands. In such circumstances, “kedging” may often be required, using mechanical assistance such as winching onto stable structures pull the ferry forward, respectively. Or, motor driven wheels may be provided for shallow bottoms on certain amphibious vehicles, but generally are not provided for road-towed ferries.
In another example, military land vehicles such as tanks or other armored vehicles often require amphibious transport in order to reach remote locations over water. While some such vehicles may be equipped as amphibious vehicles themselves, designs that would otherwise be intended for primary land use would require significant modification with diminished land use armored vehicle capabilities. Therefore, many such armored vehicles require separate water transport assistance to ferry them over water when needed to reach a remote site.
One further more detailed example of such an armored vehicle that has been developed, according to at least one publication, is known as the “Stryker” family of light armored vehicles. According to this disclosure, the United States Army has disclosed its intention to deploy six brigades equipped with the new Strykers. One of them can fit onto a C-130 cargo plane, two on a C-17, and four on a C-5 plane. While there are at least ten variants of a common platform that have been disclosed for Strykers, the baseline Stryker is essentially an eight-wheeled, overgrown armored car. The target weight for Strykers is generally characterized as weighing about 38,000 pounds (19 tons), which nevertheless is considered a “light armor vehicle” compared to many other “heavy armor vehicles” such as tanks that may weigh as much as thirty to seventy tons.
The U.S. Army has further disclosed that it will spend $4 Billion to acquire 2,131 Strykers through 2008, when it will begin acquiring next generation vehicles. This plan has been published as part of a multi-year transformation that will produce lighter, faster armored vehicles that can be deployed quickly by air. One example of another such vehicle has been called the “Future Combat System (FCS),” to enable deployment of a combat-ready brigade anywhere in the world within 96 hours, a full division in 120 hours, and five divisions within 30 days. Seventy-ton tanks that require transportation aboard ships can't make the grade, but lighter, stronger, faster armored vehicles can. The newer FCS wheeled armored vehicles have been published to weigh no more than 16 tons each for easy air transportation. Accordingly, DARPA, the Pentagon's research arm, has been reported to be working with Boeing and Science Applications International Corporation to develop this next generation of FCS armored vehicles, intended to be ready for duty by 2012.
Notwithstanding the foregoing plans, such vehicles as the Strykers and FCS have not been disclosed to have any amphibious capabilities, and will still require water ferry support to reach many intended remote locations not readily accessible over land. Moreover, there would be much advantage to provide such a ferry that may be deployed in similar aircraft as these armored vehicles it is to transport. There would also be much advantage to adapt such ferry so that it may be towed by the armored vehicle during land transport to water launch sites. Still further, these armored vehicles are often transported between locations outside of combat situations, and there would be further advantage to adapting the ferry for road towing on public roads without requiring special permits. Further advantage would be gained if such ferry were readily adapted for kedging across shallow waterways or during waterway ingress or egress.
In particular, C-130 aircraft have been identified as a principal mode for armored vehicle transport such as for the Stryker and FCS light armored vehicles just described. The C-130 aircraft is characterized in one regard as beneficially adapted for landing on relatively short runways. Such aircraft's cargo capabilities have been disclosed, and include the following specifications: a width of no more than about 123 inches; a height of no more than about 9 feet; a length of no more than about 55.4 feet; and a total weight of no more than about 38,061 pounds. Another important heavy cargo transport aircraft, the C-17A, is characterized as having the following additional specifications for cargo capacity: a width of no more than about 18 feet; a height of no more than about 13 feet; and a length of no more than about 88 feet. Much benefit would be gained by providing a ferry that is adapted to ferry loads over water, such as for example loads up to at least about those corresponding with Stryker or FCS light armored vehicles, and also that is adapted to meet the specifications for air transport using similar planes.
With respect to road towing capabilities, public road regulations generally vary among different regions of the world, and in fact even among certain particular states in the United States, though national network roadways and interstate roadways have generally uniform standards. For example, for certain dual axle vehicles, the following are examples of specifications or limits that must be met for use on such roads, and most state roads complying with the interstate specifications, without requiring special permits: a width of no more than about 102 inches; a length of no more than about 48 feet; a total height of no more than about 14 feet, and a total weight of no more than about thirty four thousand pounds (17 tons).
Military transport of vehicles such as tanks or the light armored vehicles noted above is generally exempted from requiring permits for public highways. However, such regulations are in effect for reasons, such as public safety and roadway maintenance that are still beneficially met where possible. Moreover, there may be benefit in certain circumstances by not requiring such exemption for road transport.
There is still a need for a road towed ferry that is adapted to ferry heavy loads on water and also to be towed on public roads without requiring special permits.
There is also still a need for a road towed ferry that is adapted for air transport in certain highly utilized aircraft and also to ferry heavy loads on water.
There is also still a need for an improved road towed ferry that is has outboard hulls that are adjustable relative to a central hull between a first configuration for road towing or air transport and a second configuration for ferrying heavy loads.
There is also still a need for an improved road towed ferry that is readily adapted for kedging.
There is also still a need for a road towed ferry having a hull system capable of ferrying heavy loads over water, and that is configured to readily adjust such hull system into a more streamlined road tow configuration.
There is also still a need for a watercraft such as a road towed ferry with improved adjustability and stability between outboard hulls and a central hull.